[Lord of Abundance] Chapter 10: Not Human

 Chapter 10: Not Human

“To dare what ordinary men would not, to think what others would not, to shoulder burdens others would never dare bear—dare to think, dare to act, and have the courage to take responsibility!

In a single lifetime, among the countless billions of humankind… how many would truly dare call themselves ‘heroes’?”

Having scoured historical records in search of a stable path to the fourth tier, Kun’s eyes shone with a rare brilliance, filled with yearning.

He wished he could live in the same era as those legendary figures—to witness firsthand the brilliance of those “heroes,” to see how they carved immortal achievements out of desperate circumstances.

Though becoming a “hero” hardly matched his own low-key, farmer-like temperament, that didn’t stop his admiration from overflowing.

After all, what youth had never dreamed of one day turning the tide as a hero?

Li Tianyun stroked his smooth chin, murmuring thoughtfully, “If the path to the fourth tier is truly the path of a hero… then the bottleneck between the third and fourth tiers must hinge on the heart.

Something profoundly intangible. First the conviction, then the action… That’s troublesome, isn’t it?”

A person’s heart was the hardest thing to grasp.

Who could confidently claim they truly understood themselves?

In truth, most people didn’t. They were blinded by their own nature—like standing in the dark beneath a lamp.

If a cowardly and despicable Tier-3 individual were to attempt this… could they really transform their inner self and become a hero?

Even someone like Li Tianyun, raised on Blue Star under the doctrine of moderation—could he suddenly change his core nature in another world and become a towering hero?

Impossible.

Unrealistic.

Unachievable.

A hero, even on Blue Star, was still a hero.

And a petty man, even reborn, would remain petty.

That was the limitation of one’s cognition.

What was done could not be undone.

Kun’s expression turned odd.

“When did I ever say that reaching Tier-4 requires becoming a hero first?”

“Hm? It doesn’t?” Li Tianyun frowned. “Then why go on and on about heroes? Didn’t you say Tier-3 and above is called the Heroic Realm?”

“It is called the Heroic Realm,” Kun said, nodding. “But you’ve misunderstood—or rather, everyone on Yongxu Continent has been misled by the name.”

“It’s not that only heroes can take that step. It’s that those who made great, immortal achievements—those called ‘heroes’—were all beings who had already stepped into the realm beyond Tier-3.”

“In other words, only those who’ve crossed that threshold possess the strength to accomplish such feats.”

“Cause and effect intertwined?” Li Tianyun ventured.

“Uh… something like that,” Kun replied, blinking, a bit unsure.

The language of that other world was far too complex. To him, it was harder than Moon Elf or Ancient Dragon tongue.

“From studying nearly eight hundred years of history across various nations,” Kun continued, “I discovered something astonishing.

Those who stepped beyond Tier-3 and were hailed as heroes all shared one defining trait…”

He paused, voice dropping.

“They were all… not human.”

“Not human?” Li Tianyun frowned deeply. “You mean… literally not human?”

Kun nodded.

“Yes. If you study the history of all races on Yongxu Continent, you’ll find that every so-called ‘hero’ of the past thousand years had extraordinary backgrounds or distinct traits.

Either they were born as ‘divine beings,’ or they possessed obvious mixed blood—half-elves, half-dragons…

In short, all of them were…”

“Not human?”

Realization dawned on Li Tianyun.

This “not human” didn’t mean non-human species—it meant mixed blood, hybrids, those not purely human.

“Exactly,” Kun said solemnly.

“According to my research, someone like Dawn—at the peak of Tier-3—is indeed the highest level an ordinary lifeform can reach.

Unless they possess a second bloodline.

And not just any bloodline—it must be something extraordinary.”

“The so-called Tier-4 bottleneck is, in essence, the fusion of two bloodlines—and the complete manifestation of their combined power.”

“So the first hurdle is obtaining a second bloodline. The second is successfully merging them—ensuring the powers complement rather than conflict with each other.”

“These insights only became clear to me after encountering knowledge from your world.”

Li Tianyun let out a breath.

“So the key to Tier-4… is hybrid vigor, huh.”

“Huh?” Kun blinked, confused.

They stared at each other, clearly not on the same wavelength.

“What hybrid vigor? I’m talking about bamboo,” Kun said, frowning.

“Doesn’t bamboo grow segment by segment? Cultivation works the same way—each stage builds upon the last. That’s common knowledge.”

“But what if a ‘human bamboo’ can only grow three segments? How do you make it grow further?”

Li Tianyun hesitated.

“Uh… grafting?”

“…”

“What? Did I say something wrong?” he asked awkwardly. “Well, humans aren’t plants…”

Kun shook his head, expression strange.

“No… I just thought of something interesting. I’ll explain later—still just a hypothesis.”

“Back to the point. How do you extend a bamboo limited to three segments?

My idea is simple—stacking blocks. Add another layer on top, and you break the limit.”

“Of course, in cultivation, it’s not as simple as one plus one.”

“Take a person as an example. One can be a son and a father, a mathematician and an artist.”

“Layering identities doesn’t conflict—it enhances value.”

“The same applies to cultivation—but the layers must be compatible, progressing step by step.”

“Like a lawyer becoming a judge. Or an athlete becoming a referee.”

Li Tianyun’s mouth fell open.

Playing the game and refereeing it at the same time?

You could cultivate like that?

“It sounds complicated, but it’s actually quite simple,” Kun said, pointing skyward.

“On Yongxu Continent, countless races exist. Ordinary life peaks at Tier-3—but that’s not absolute.”

“Some exceptional beings—ancient dragons that live thousands of years, elemental lifeforms born in extreme environments, or terrifying creatures deep in ancient forests…”

“If you can obtain their bloodline, and use a potion capable of merging two bloodlines, then breaking past Tier-3 becomes… relatively achievable.”

Li Tianyun nodded slowly.

So, to reach Tier-4, three conditions must be met:

First, reach the peak of Tier-3.

Second, acquire a compatible superior bloodline—preferably one aligned with your own attributes.

Third, possess a specialized potion to fuse the two bloodlines safely.

Kun had shared part of this research with Dawn—and even promised him a dose of such a potion, should he succeed in developing one.

But there remained a paradox.

How could a mortal kill a god?

The gap between Tier-3 and Tier-4 was like a chasm.

Kun estimated that even thirty top-tier Tier-3 experts would struggle to defeat a Tier-4 being.

This was the essence of a hero—facing overwhelming odds without retreat.

Not just courage, but overwhelming strength.

In the six-hundred-year history of the Dansu Kingdom, fewer than five Tier-4 beings had ever emerged.

In the past two centuries—none.

Each Tier-4 existence was a miracle.

It required awakening two bloodlines—one of which must be from a superior lifeform.

Without that, no amount of talent could break the barrier.

In Kun’s view, luck mattered more than talent.

Hunting a Tier-4 being for its bloodline was theoretically sound—but practically impossible.

So instead, he planned to search the auctions or black markets of Lovos City for relics—remains of ancient dragons or legendary Tier-4 figures.

Dragon materials were nearly impossible to obtain.

Any that surfaced were either fakes or long since forged into legendary weapons and armor.

But relics of historical heroes?

Those were more attainable.

Though ideally buried in memorial grounds or cathedrals, there were always wealthy collectors who valued rarity above all else.

What could be more prestigious than owning the remains of a famous hero—or a beautiful princess?

Kun even knew of a count who collected young girls’ eyeballs.

Clean. Clear. Expressive.

Disturbing.

But acquiring such things required… unconventional methods.

And money.

Which he lacked.

Even if he obtained a relic, compatibility was uncertain.

What if it couldn’t be used?

In the end—

He still needed gold.

If possible, he would have preferred planting high-value crops—like the Frostfall Holy Maiden Fruit, beloved by noblewomen.

Each fruit sold for one silver coin.

Meanwhile, a silver coin could buy hundreds of pounds of wheat.

Yet despite the climate being suitable, Kun couldn’t choose such crops.

The reason lay in the hexagonal mark in his palm—the mark of the Chosen of Abundance.

One segment had already been lit, granting him an ability:

The First Aspect of Abundance — “Sharing.”

Through years of experimentation, he discovered a simple truth:

The key to activating the mark was—abundance.

Only crops he personally cultivated counted.

The fuller the harvest, the greater the effect.

A thornberry granted five units of “fertility.”

A Frostfall fruit, three.

Wheat… only one.

But thornberries took six years to mature.

Wheat, on the other hand, yielded dozens of grains per stalk.

Same time, same land—far greater output.

The choice was obvious.

And through seeds from Blue Star, fused with local wheat using the mark’s power, Kun had already created a high-yield hybrid crop suitable for this world.